Electric vehicle charging station at Titletown Tech in Ashwaubenon. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Cuts to a program which helps pay for new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations could be coming. District 8 Rep. Tony Wied wants to repeal the ‘National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure’ (NEVI) federal program.
He’s supporting legislation called the ‘Unplug EV Charging Stations Program Act.’ Wied said too much money is being wasted on building new EV stations.
“I don’t believe that the government should be subsidizing these types of things. I think as a country, we should become energy dominant and our hard-earned tax dollars shouldn’t be going to things like this,” Wied said. “That’s why I’m so passionate about this piece of legislation.”
NPR reported in early February the NEVI program was paused by the Trump administration, holding back $3 billion dollars intended for EV charging stations.
The Wisconsin DOT said the state received more than $78 million from the NEVI program. $63 million of that is now at risk.
“If electric vehicle owners are not able to charge their vehicle or anybody passing through the state to be honest, it’s not just Wisconsin residents, if there’s nowhere to charge their vehicle such travel is going to be impossible or very difficult,” Wisconsin Chapter President of the Electric Vehicle Association Jeremiah Brockman said.
The Wisconsin EVA frets taking away this funding would hurt businesses in rural parts of the state. You may notice EV charging stations are common in the city, but if you take a ride to the country, it’s much more challenging. Some worry those cuts will make re-charging even more difficult.
Brockman says NEVI was a bipartisan bill, with a goal of widening EV use.
“If certain politicians are gonna talk about freedom of choice and the freedom to purchase whatever you want… they shouldn’t be putting legislation forward that basically prohibits people from buying electric vehicles,” Brockman said.
EV drivers are well familiar with the struggle of finding a place to plug in when their battery runs low, and for some it’s a close call.
“So yesterday I was actually on the road and I made it to a charging station with only four miles, so yeah it’s pretty tough,” EV driver Aria Ard said.
Ard has been driving an EV for about a year. She worries having less charging stations will strand drivers like herself just trying to get around.
“Especially if you’re renting cars sometimes they’ll give you an EV and a lot of the time you don’t have a place to charge an EV up in these rural counties, so yeah it’s definitely tough,” Ard said.
It’s unclear when a final decision on possible cuts will be made.
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